Seven days

Germans have a particular talent for coining single words to describe complex ideas and dog breeds. Americans have a particular talent for stealing them. De Lane Bredvik illustrates a suitably sturm und drang term for the death of forests in Waldsterben: Sudden Aspen Decline, his immersive installation in the atrium of Plaza of the Rockies (121 S. Tejon St., tinyurl.com/GOCA-aspen). It is particularly apt just now, as climate change has killed nearly a quarter of Colorado's aspen forests in the past decade. Take the time to wander among the 30-foot banners of the ersatz copse for free weekdays from 6 a.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m., now through October. — Caroline Swinford

18 Thursday

books

Covered Treasures Bookstore (105 Second St., Monument, coveredtreasures.com) celebrates its 20th anniversary from 5 to 8 tonight as part of the town's monthly Third Thursday Art Hop. But there'll be more inside those familiar stucco walls than free good cheer: Boulder author Peter Heller — he of 2012's New York Times bestselling The Dog Stars, about the survival of a Colorado man and his dog after "the flu that killed everyone he knows" — will be on hand, signing books and singing "Happy Birthday." Well, signing at least. — Kirsten Akens

19 Friday

sports

To witness local athletic achievement and close-to-Olympic glory, show up to observe the annual Rocky Mountain State Games. This competition for amateurs consists of 36 events encompassing everything from softball and swimming, to billiards and bowling. Though the downtown opening ceremony for the games doesn't come until 5 p.m. on July 26 — along with a parade, live concert and beer garden — the matches start today. Spectator fees and locations vary depending on the event, so visit coloradospringssports.org for a detailed schedule. — Hannah Brenneman

20 Saturday

pride

Colorado Springs PrideFest is feeling a little more patriotic this year. First, the weekend's events have all been moved to America the Beautiful Park (126 Cimino Drive, cospride.org). Second, you may have heard that the Supreme Court recently agreed that the grievances of 84-year-old widow Edie Windsor were more than equal to the "moral disapproval of homosexuality" expressed by the 104th U.S. Congress. "I cried, I cried," she said afterward. So, party hardy for her today, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; or get down with the Big Gay 5K tomorrow at 10 a.m., with the parade to follow an hour later. — Bryce Crawford

21 Sunday

sports

The appeal of extreme sports partially comes through the Herculean nature of man asserting his dominance over nature, hence the formerly titled Assault on the Peak. Now called the Pikes Peak Bicycle Hill Climb (coscycling.com), today you can watch fellow mortals test their power against the natural world in this USA Cycling-sanctioned 20K race and fun ride. See up to 1,500 bicyclists besting 154 turns and 4,700 vertical feet as they defy death. If you would like to participate as well, you can register at packet pick-up locations up until race day. Entry fees start at $60. — Nathaniel Kelley

22 Monday

special events

Encapsulating all that goes on at the El Paso County Fair is like trying to count individual hairs on your head (baldies excluded). From car shows, a carnival and concerts to all the 4-H and livestock-centric events, it's eight days of action (the 20th through 27th in this case) to blow away any Hanukkah programming. Goings-on go from 8 to 7:30 today at the El Paso County Fairgrounds (366 10th St., Calhan, tinyurl.com/ElPasoCo-fair) and admission is $3 to $7 (under 3 free), with full passes available for $15 to $25. — Matthew Schniper

23 Tuesday

music

In the hip-hop world, stage names are more or less mandatory. Promoters might not book Cameron Jibril Thomaz and Rakim Mayers, but their aliases Wiz Khalifa and ASAP Rocky can sell out 20,000-capacity venues. Both have chart-topping albums, and you can catch them together this evening at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre (6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Englewood, livenation.com). Tickets are $26 and up, showtime is 5:30 p.m., and no, ASAP Rocky did not steal his name from Aesop Rock, so stop saying that. — Bill Forman